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The Czech central bank cuts key interest rate for the first time since June 2022 to help economy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s central bank cut its key interest rate Thursday hoping to give the country’s struggling economy a boost.The cut by a quarter of a percentage point brought the interest rate down to 6.75%. It was the first time the bank cut the rate since June 22 last year.Last year the bank raised its key interest rate as it tried to combat soaring inflation. The hike of a percentage point and a quarter took the rate to 7%, the highest level since early 1999. It was the ninth straight increase since June 2021.The move took place at the last meeting of the bank’s board on monetary policy under outgoing governor Jiri Rusnok.On July 1, Rusnok was replaced by Ales Michl, a member of the bank’s board since 2018 who opposed previous rate hikes.Thursday’s move was expected by most analysts.Inflation in the Czech Republic soared to 18% in September last year. It was at 7.3% in November this year, according to the Czech Statistics Office, which is still well above the...

Photos: Dog rescued from bottom of 25-foot well after 2 days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Tuesday, Adams County Fire put on their red helmets, pulled on their firefighting gear and loaded up Engine 11 before heading to Tennyson Street to save a dog at the bottom of a well.The dog, Max, went missing two days prior. No one had seen Max until a neighbor heard whimpering near an abandoned well. Volunteer drivers log hundreds of miles in the name of pet adoption Sure enough, the dog had fallen two and a half stories and was trapped at the bottom of the 25-foot well. After calling animal control, they needed more help.Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)On Tuesday morning, Adams County Fire received a call from animal control requesting their assistance. Ada...

Photos: Prost Brewing Company biergarten opens in Northglenn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Wednesday, Prost Brewing Company opened its biergarten with German-grown hops and malts, along with its Great American Beer Festival award-winning Prost Pils.You can get more than just beer. Prost's biergartens offer Germain specials like schnitzel, bratwurst and pretzel bites. Denver restaurant recognized nationally for having one of best dishes in US There are already locations in Denver, Highlands Ranch and Fort Collins. Now, there's a fourth location in Northglenn.Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)The...

Fire breaks out at Pembroke Pines apartment complex; no injuries reported

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

Firefighters battled a blaze that erupted Thursday morning at a Pembroke Pines apartment complex. The fire broke out around 8 a.m. at the Encino Apartments, located at 14927 SW 15th St., on the north side of a building. After a few moments, crews controlled the fire. According to officials, the flames were spotted at the rear of the structure, containing the blaze to a bedroom and patio. One resident was able to safely exit the unit and are currently displaced, said a fire official.Live video footage captured firefighters tackling the flames, revealing significant damage to the affected units. Neighbors gathered outside, witnessing the Pembroke Pines Fire Department’s extensive firefighting efforts.Despite the incident unfolding within the gated Grand Palms community, authorities contained the fire, addressing lingering hot spots. Crews were observed dismantling drywall to ensure hot spots were completely extinguished. Authorities said the fire is under investigation. Please c...

Czech police say people have been killed in a shooting in downtown Prague

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — A shooting in downtown Prague killed several people and wounded dozens of others, and the person who opened fire is dead, Czech police said Thursday.Police gave no details about the victims or the circumstances of the gunfire in the Czech Republic’s capital. They said officers were deployed due to a shooting at a school in Jan Palach Square.The philosophy department of Charles University, which is located in the square, was evacuated, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda said.The police department said the square has been sealed off. It urged people also to leave the surrounding streets and stay inside.Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said no other shooter was at the scene, but he urged people to cooperate with police.Prague’s rescue service confirmed several people were killed and said a larger number suffered various injuries.Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled his scheduled events and was heading for Prague.

Ryan Gosling is serving us more Ken, just in time for Christmas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

(CNN) — Christmas just got Kenergized.Ryan Gosling and “Barbie: The Album” producer Mark Ronson have remade the blockbuster movie’s hit tune “I’m Just Ken” for “Ken The EP,” which includes three new versions of the song: a holiday version, titled “Merry Kristmas Barbie,” an acoustic version, titled, naturally, “In My Feelings Acoustic,” and a dance rendition of the song, “Purple Disco Machine Cover.” (Why not “Pink Disco?)The two had teased the new music on Dec. 18, wearing Santa hats in a studio together.The video for the song details why Ronson felt it was necessary to make more “Ken” tunes, with Gosling getting back into his Ken character to sing in a studio decorated for the holidays.“Barbie” received 10 nominations for the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, Gosling’s nomination for best supporting actor among them.“I’m Just Ken” was nominated for best original song for a motion picture. The original recording has already earned Gosling his first Billboard Hot 100 hit.Ronson produce...

Backlash builds against Macron over Depardieu support

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing mounting backlash for showing support for film star Gérard Depardieu, who is accused of sexual assault and sexism.Former French President François Hollande on Thursday criticized Macron’s recent statements to the France 5 TV channel, in which he praised Depardieu’s contribution to filmmaking.“It was expected of the President of the Republic to talk about women, and not simply to say that Gérard Depardieu was a great actor,” Hollande told French radio France Inter. “He has made this cause the big deal of his five-year term and this is how he is dealing with the issue of Gérard Depardieu.”On Wednesday, Macron said he was a “great admirer” of Depardieu, a “great actor” who makes France “proud.” He also said he didn’t want Depardieu stripped of his Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honor), the country’s highest order of merit.But his comments sparked ire in France.Depardieu was charged with rape in 2020...

From pastina pasta to Sierra Mist, here are 8 food and drinks we lost in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

New York (CNN) — You might’ve indulged in some of the final bites and slurps of your favorite food and drinks without even realizing it.2023 marked the end of McDonald’s baked goods (thankfully, we have new treats at CosMc’s to anticipate), the final batch of a historic craft beer and a Girl Scouts cookie that was one year old, among other fan-favorite foods that are now in the garbage heap of history.Restaurants and food manufacturers are constantly evaluating what’s selling and what’s not, so it’s not a surprise that these items are disappearing. But it doesn’t make their losses any easier for fans.Here are some culinary creations that left us this year.Aha seltzer waterCoca-Cola’s attempt to make a La Croix competitor fizzled out less than three years after its debut. Aha, a lineup of flavored seltzer waters (some with a splash of caffeine) rolled out in 2020 amid the pandemic and never gained traction with consumers.Coke announced in October that th...

Texas’ new immigration law sows confusion and uncertainty along the border

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

(CNN) — A new law that makes entering Texas illegally a state crime is sowing confusion and uncertainty among undocumented migrants and mixed status families along the US-Mexico border, according to immigration advocates.Many of those advocates tell CNN they fear a wave of racial profiling as well as detentions and attempted deportations by state authorities when the law is expected to take effect in March.“There are a lot of unknowns about how this law will be implemented,” Houston immigration attorney Roberto Quijano said a recent town hall meeting about the law.Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure, Senate Bill 4, into law on Monday, granting local law enforcement the power to arrest migrants and judges the ability to issue orders to remove them to Mexico, in a state where Latinos represent 40% of the population. “We have a lot of concerns about racial profiling and racism,” Ramona Casas...

Top US and Chinese military officials speak for the first time in over a year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:58 GMT

(CNN) — The top US and Chinese generals spoke on Thursday for the first time in over a year, marking the end of a strained silence between senior US and Chinese military officials that had deeply concerned the Pentagon.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., had a video conference call with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday, Joint Staff spokesperson Capt. Jereal Dorsey said.Brown spoke with the People’s Liberation Army of China Chief of the Joint Staff Department Gen. Liu Zhenli, also marking the first time the two have talked since Brown became chairman.“Gen. Brown discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication,” Dorsey said. “Gen. Brown reiterated the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings.”